Garbage bags, part 2
One of the good things about being married to a professional thinker is that I have a super-qualified editor by my side at all times. After reading my last entry, Kyle pointed out that my entry actually started where it should have begun. He is right, I never really explained WHY I thought the piece in Capital Light was pathetic. Dang!
It was two things really:
1] I don't think the article should have been published in Capital to begin with. I respect the paper for they have always gone way beyond merely reporting on issues and events. They analyze, critique and, I THINK, educate. Now, I have no formal journalism training whatsoever, but, in my opinion, in addition to professional responsibilies, a good journalist has social responsibilities as well. If that is correct, I don't see anything good coming out of said piece about designer shopping bags.
2] Also, with a little help, I have come to realize that the very publication of the piece is not that BIG a problem. In others words, it's perfectly fine to have that kind of material in a serious newspaper/publication. Serious professional people need a light read as well, after all. However, even still, the piece is super bad. I mean...was anyone able to figure out what the main argument of the article was?! Shopping bags are cool?! Hmmmm.
What do you guys think? What are the responsibilities of a journalist, an editor, a paper? What is the role of "light" news in a "hard news" paper? Should they be there to begin with? And, hell, what about fuckin' designer shopping bags?!
It was two things really:
1] I don't think the article should have been published in Capital to begin with. I respect the paper for they have always gone way beyond merely reporting on issues and events. They analyze, critique and, I THINK, educate. Now, I have no formal journalism training whatsoever, but, in my opinion, in addition to professional responsibilies, a good journalist has social responsibilities as well. If that is correct, I don't see anything good coming out of said piece about designer shopping bags.
2] Also, with a little help, I have come to realize that the very publication of the piece is not that BIG a problem. In others words, it's perfectly fine to have that kind of material in a serious newspaper/publication. Serious professional people need a light read as well, after all. However, even still, the piece is super bad. I mean...was anyone able to figure out what the main argument of the article was?! Shopping bags are cool?! Hmmmm.
What do you guys think? What are the responsibilities of a journalist, an editor, a paper? What is the role of "light" news in a "hard news" paper? Should they be there to begin with? And, hell, what about fuckin' designer shopping bags?!
posted by petya at 1/16/2007 01:50:00 PM
18 Comments:
i can't even embrace all the many kinds of wrong this article is, but i'll try.
in my opinion, the topic and tone of the article really don't live up to capital's level. hello? empty deodorant spray cans on top of television sets, anyone? i thought that kind of people read totally different newspapers like "trud", "24 chasa", etc.
it is poorly written, too. i don't really get her point. does she really still think the plastic bags her friend used to have were cool? really? and how exactly is it cool to clean a hotel and scavenge for brand paper bags the clients threw away? does she really think she is carrying a luxury item when it's just...a paper bag? there's no explanation whatsoever...i have no idea about journalism, but i dare say that an article, even a "light" one, should express some sort of opinion, albeit non-intrusive. her point is totally missing.
then, she has a hideous spelling mistake in there, too.
the woman obviously has no idea of what fashion is, or a living standard for that matter.
this whole article makes me think of a fake gucci shirt that has GUCCI written all over it. when in reality, say, a real and classy hermes bag would have a tiny imprint somewhere inside the bag, somewhere a bit more subtle.
maybe we should translate the article in english...so that english-speakers can join in too. it will be YOUR responsibility to figure out how to deal with the spelling mistake ;)
Well, I've never been to Bulgaria... but in Russia they take their plastic shopping bags seriously. I got to where I too would save "nice" ones, in case I needed them to carry stuff (because why carry your stuff in a real bag when you can use a nice looking plastic one?) and yes, I have been complimented on my choice of "paket" on more than one occasion. I still find myself carefully folding and saving "nice" plastic bags just out of habit...
please,haven't you ever had a chance to look at British broadsheet papers weekend supplements?
my saturday routine goes like that:wake up,have some coffee,go buy Guardian,burn the supplement.
I guess Capital just follows a template set by foreign broadsheet papres-as long as it contains any of the words "fashion","lifestyle" or "designer" ,it's fit to go in.
Jane: the phenomenon you've observed is a leftover from communism where plastic bags had to double as school bags, small travel bags, shopping bags and what not. I attribute our initial attachment to them to scarcity of consumer goods in our own markets but also, plastic bags seemed to be the easiest piece of "the West" one could bring back into Bulgaria if given a chance to leave to begin with. I could be mistaken on this one, but I think I remember that plastic bags was one of the most common gifts people would receive if a friend came back from a short trip out of the country. And, like we know, old habits die hard.
Anonymous:
I think you're right. I don't think that Capital Light is alone in its category by any means. For some reason, though, I can't picture this article in the New York Times magazine. And I'm sure that the editorial staff of Capital would much rather be compared to them (NY Times et al.) than the British tabloid press...
...the last time i chechked The Guardian was a respected broadsheet paper,not a tabloid.
weekend supplements of British tabloid press contain predominantly pictures of obscure celebrities,caught with their underarms unshaven :)hope you are loooking forward to 24chasa running a saturday magazine exclusively made up of pictures of chalga goddesses with hangover:)
Dude! I never said the Guardian is a tabloid!!!
As far as a 24 hours' weekend supplement goes...well, let me put it this way: i wouldn't be surprised.
Петя, и аз видях статията и ми се стори толкова странна, че я прочетох:) Темата й не е лоша, но Начинът, по който е написана... Нищо против Капитал, но ЛайНт се мислят за отделна институция. Възприели са едно подобие на оня специфичен саркастично-надменен (хаха, за първи път се опитвам да го определя) тон, който едно време Егоист използваха доста на място. Същият този тон е възприет и от де що има лайфъстайлъ списание. Вземат се толкова насериозно, та чак Проповядват. Било то за ай макове, за социализма или за плочките им в банята. Аман!!!
Petia,
Doidoh da vidia kakvo pravi bighead – podgotviam edin specialen broi na Light.a, i si spomnih kak visiahme, az po noshtite, ti po sledobedite, da ‘pazaruvame’ obuvki online, s mnogo hubavo chuwstwo si spomniam onezi dni. Vidiah Garbage bags, posle prochetoh I originala online, zaedno s komentarite pod statiata – napulno osnovatelni, ne bih se prisuedinila edinstveno kum tona. Ne znam kakva e bila ideiata na Elena – taka ili inache contexta, v koito tia vodi jiwota si , e suvsem razlichen ot nashia, i ne za purvi put opitut I da svurje svoiata realnost s druga, po niakakuv ‘zabaven’ nachin, e hyper neadekvaten.
Vse edno, az se opitvam da gledam na nestata v makro rejim.V purvia broi na Max Vesko Iordanov se oplaka ot “Edin jiwot bez Guci I bez Zara”, edin jiwot, v koito markite, za koito neprekusnato pishem, govorim, tainichko mechtaem, ili ot koito prosto imame nujda, mogat da sustestvuvat edinstveno pod formata na skromni kolekcii ot hartieni torbi vtora ruka. Tujnoto e, che tova e absolutno zakonomerno. Izliza, che edinstveno torbichkite za logomaniaci biha namerili adekwaten kontext tuk. Za ostanaloto niakoi e precenil, che oshte ne mu e doshlo vremeto, i che vsiaka jaba triabwa da si znae giola. I tozi niakoi obiknoveno si razbira ot rabotata.
Radwam se obache, che ima pozicia. Lipswashe mi tvoiata angajiranost kum sluchwashtoto se. Lipswa mi i v Light. Biah zapochnala da si mislia, che veche nikoi niama nishto sa kazwane.
Pozdravi, nai-surdechni.
боги,
току що видях постинга. и темата за разминаването между битовата ни действителност и начина, по който си я представяме е въпрос, който доста ме вълнува. май ще ти отговоря с цял пост, защото ще бъде интересно да чуем и другите какво имат да кажат по въпроса.
п.с. и аз имам много мили спомени от тогава... :)))
Great Article! Thank You!
Thanks to author! I like articles like this, very interesting.
nice blog!
nice blog!Nice information
:-) ochen\' zaebatyj blog!
soglasen s vami ochen\' zaebatyj blog!
Keep up the great work. It very impressive. Enjoyed the visit!
wow gold cheap wow gold buy wow gold world of warcraft gold wow world of warcraft wow gold WoW Warrior WoW Hunter WoW Rogue WoW Paladin WoW Shaman WoW Priest WoW Mage WoW Druid WoW Warlock power leveling powerleveling wow power leveling wow powerleveling wow guides wow tips food flower google排名 google左侧排名 google排名服务 百度推广 百度排名 网站推广 商业吧 机床 LED灯 电池 塑料 摄像机 移民 甲醇 染料 福州热线 体育博客 股票博客 游戏博客 魔兽博客 考试博客 汽车博客 房产博客 电脑博客 powerlin518 logo design website design web design 商标设计
Post a Comment
<< Home